A Republic, If You Can Keep It

What a week: A high-powered coalition launches a petition drive to thwart the Republican-lead voter suppression petition drive A third lawsuit filed against the Redistricting Commission’s maps, even as another lawsuit loses in a divided state Supreme Court Two leaders of the Trump Electoral College fraud in Michigan get congressional subpoenas The former president is all-in for “his&#8...

Another huge week in Michigan politics: Former House Speaker Lee Chatfield, already embroiled in a criminal investigation into sexual abuse charges, is now under the microscope for massive off-the-books spending out of his political slush fund Michigan Republican co-chair Meshawn Maddock is facing pushback for an allegedly  racist tweet directed at Lt. Governor Garland Gilchrist, along with a fede...

A coordinated effort to steal the presidential election — by the Trump campaign. Republicans in Michigan and four other states sent forged certificates to Congress “awarding” their electoral votes to the losing candidate, Donald Trump. We’re joined by Michigan’s chief elections officer, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, to discuss the plot along with failed efforts t...

The full half-hour-plus this week is devoted to several amazing developments in Michigan Politics, beginning with the dual scandals enveloping former state House Speaker Lee Chatfield. Accused first of sexual abuse by his now sister-in-law beginning when she was a teenager, he’s now the subject of investigations into his massive political slush fund. Also on the agenda for Jeff and Mark: mus...

To start the new year, Mark and Jeff take a look back at two of the most tulmultuous issues of 2021: the anniversary of the January 6 assault on the Capitol and Republican efforts to rig future elections. We go back to some often prescient commentary by five in our roster of amazing 2021 guests: Michael Steele Governor Michael Dukakis Rep. Dan Kildee Steve Schmidt Col. Alexander Vindman We’r...

For the first time ever, Michigan’s new congressional and legislative district maps have been drawn by non-politicians: the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission, created by the 2018 ballot proposal 2. What does it mean for Michigan’s political balance of power? And will the maps survive inevitable court challenges? Mark Brewer and Jeff Timmer are both experts on partisan redis...

The Michigan Supreme Court tells the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission that its closed-door meeting violated the state constitution. However, the newly released memos from that meeting were a big nothing-burger, raising questions of why the Commission created the controversy in the first place. Joining the conversation is one of the state’s top political writers, Kyle Melinn of t...

Two GOP heavyweights face off: Michigan Right to Life endorses one candidate for Attorney General, former President Trump has endorsed another. Who will prevail? Also on the docket this week: the Trump plan to overthrown the election and stage what amounts to a coup to stay in power. The revelations from the House Committee on January 6 are just the beginning, with public hearings in early 2022 pr...

A coalition of the state’s leading newspapers sue Michigan’s Independent Redistricting Commission for what the newspaper say were unconstitutional closed sessions, signaling the beginning of a long season of legal battles for the Citizens’ Commission. Mark and Jeff also analyze Governor Whitmer’s break with the Biden administration over vaccine mandates, and discuss the pol...

Two of the most emotional issues of the last few decades came to a head this week: gun safety, and abortion rights. Mark and Jeff take a look at the politics in the aftermath of the horrific shooting in Oxford, and the U.S. Supreme Court hearing on Mississippi’s efforts to overturn Roe v. Wade. They are then joined by one of the people responsible for the petition drive creating the state’s...

Mark and Jeff discuss the latest entrant into the Republican gubernatorial sweepstakes, millionaire auto dealer Kevin Rinke. Plus: the potential for a bedsheet ballot with a dozen citizen petition drives underway or being discussed, the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission gets a scolding from the Attorney General, and Mark shares details of a lawsuit he has filed on behalf of the Michiga...

Enactment of the Biden infrastructure plan is a once-in-a-generation investment in America’s economy, but will it translate into political benefits for Democrats? Mark and Jeff discuss the fallout from the bipartisan vote and the bitter recriminations for Republicans who supported the law (including death threats against Rep. Fred Upton of Michigan). They are then joined by  David Pepper , f...

Mark and Jeff offer their analysis of Tuesday’s elections…not just the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races, but also some of the key local elections in Michigan. Then, they are joined by one of the few heroes of the Trump White House: former national security staffer Col. Alexander Vindman, and USA Today columnist Rachel Vindman. The unassuming foreign affairs expert found hims...

Mark Brewer details the ballot proposal campaign he’s leading to award Michigan’s electoral votes to the national popular vote winner. The proposal, if approved by voters, would only become effective if states representing at least 270 electoral votes (a majority) were a part of the Electoral College Compact. Then, the discussion shifts to money: campaign fundraising. Joining the discu...

Jeff Timmer and Mark Brewer take a look at an under-reported effort by state Republicans to bring potential chaos to the 2024 election: stacking local boards of canvassers with “Big Lie” disciples. The end game: instead of voters deciding the outcome, Michigan’s Legislature decides who gets the state’s electoral votes. They are then joined by outspoken conservative commenta...

The Big Lie lives on in Michigan and nationally. Mark Brewer and Jeff Timmer comment on the latest efforts to disrupt our democratic system through Trump’s core mendacity. They are then joined by columnist and military historian Max Boot, a self-described former conservative Republican who now says the overriding issue today is preserving our democratic republic. Boot  has been called one of...

President Biden launches a national blitz for his agenda in Michigan. Jeff Timmer and Mark Brewer analyze the President’s choice of location, and the impact of Build Back Better on Michigan Politics. Then they are joined by political scientist and new-age campaign consultant Dr. Rachel Bitecofer. Bitecofer is founder of the STRIKE-PAC . The mission: Where Democratic electioneering is now slo...

Mark Brewer discusses the ballot proposal he’s launching towards getting rid of the Electoral College (no more 2nd-place finishers in the White House), and Jeff analyzes another chaotic week for Michigan Republicans as their big-ticket Mackinac Conference finishes 2nd in attendance to a grassroots rally of party insurgents. They are then joined by nationally renowned pollster Celinda Lake. L...

Mark Brewer and Jeff Timmer offer their take on Donald Trump’s intrusion into the Michigan GOP races for Secretary of State and Attorney General. Will his backing of far-right “Big Lie” promoters overcome the private hesitancy of party chair Ron Weiser? The two of them are also veterans of multiple battles over redistricting. They analyze the first draft maps published by the new...

The gubernatorial campaign of James Craig got off to a rocky start with a blunder-filled “official” announcement. Mark and Jeff evaluate the would-be political slayer of Gretchen Whitmer. They also have a harsh assessment of state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey’s “suggestion” that universities rely less on vaccinations and more on natural immunity. They are then...

This week Mark Brewer and Jeff Timmer discuss in depth three of the issues that are driving politics: The Texas ban on virtually all abortions, 49 years after Roe v Wade The red-blue divide on voter suppression laws The new, organized far-right effort to control school boards through intimidation and organization Along the way, we get their analysis of why the upcoming state Republican summit on M...

Mark and Jeff focus on the latest Republican voter suppression petition drive and how time is running out if the GOP wants the changes in Michigan law to be in effect for the 2022 election. Then they are joined by Katie Fahey, founder of Voters Not Politicians, in a discussion of how the new Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission is doing its job. In November, 2016, Katie Fahey put a simple...

How does the new John Lewis Voting Rights Act – passed Tuesday by the House of Representatives – offer the potential for breaking the Senate deadlock over the filibuster? Mark Brewer explains changes in the bill and tells why it could convince Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema to support bypassing the filibuster to enact the bill. Then, Mark and Jeff Timmer are joined by the co-founder of...

What does the census mean for upcoming Michigan elections? In the opening segment Mark Brewer and Jeff Timmer, both veterans of redistricting wars, analyze the changes in Michigan’s population. And they discuss the re-emergence of John Engler on the Michigan political stage. In segment two, they are joined by Amanda Carpenter. Carpenter is an American author, political advisor, and speechwri...

President Joe Biden’s decades of experience in the Senate and his personal faith in compromise were rewarded Tuesday, when his $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed the Senate in a rare bipartisan vote of approval. Mark and Jeff discuss the landmark bill and related issues with Michigan Senator Gary Peters just hours after the historic Senate vote. Senator Peters was first elected in 2014 when he...